Taco Salad with Doritos
Taco Salad with Doritos uses nacho cheese Doritos and seasoned ground beef for an easy meal – it’s a little more exciting than your traditional taco salad. This is great for taco night, potlucks, game day, and Cinco de Mayo!
You’re going to want to add this recipe to your meal plan!
This quick and easy weeknight dinner is perfect for taco lovers! It’s a hearty meal loaded with protein from the ground beef and black beans.
To save time and money, I often buy bulk packages of ground beef when it’s on sale. You can make seasoned ground beef with taco seasoning right in your crockpot so I like to make big batches. Some goes into recipes like quesadillas or walking taco casserole and the rest goes into freezer bags for future meals.
You’ll love the versatility of this delicious salad. For example, you can substitute red kidney beans or pinto beans. You can also add other fresh veggies like chopped green peppers, avocado, or even thinly sliced jalapeno peppers. Sprinkle a little chopped green onion or fresh cilantro for extra flavor.
Ingredients
Taco Beef: As I mentioned above, I use seasoned ground beef with taco seasoning. You can also use leftover slow cooker shredded beef.
Lettuce: Personally, I prefer romaine lettuce for the best crunch and texture. Iceberg, green leaf, or butter lettuce all work well, too.
Chips: Of course, Doritos are the star here, and Nacho Cheese or Cool Ranch are both delish in this salad. Plain tortilla chips are totally fine as a substitute.
Tomatoes: Grape tomatoes are an easy, flavorful choice. Cherry tomatoes, Roma, or any fresh tomato you have on hand work.
Black Olives: Use pitted, sliced black olives from the can – just give them a quick rinse.
Corn: Look for a frozen or canned southwest corn blend. It adds a smoky flavor that plain corn does not. Either frozen or canned works fine.
Red Onion: Thinly sliced fresh red onion adds a sharp flavor. For a tangier option, try pickled red onions. They add a bright, acidic pop to your salad.
Black Beans: Use canned black beans. Drain and rinse them first.
Shredded Cheese: Pick your favorite: cheddar, Monterey Jack, or pepper jack. Pepper jack adds a little heat.
Dressing: Store-bought Catalina dressing is totally fine!
Variations
While traditionally this salad is made with ground beef, it can also be made with ground turkey or shredded chicken.
Out of something you need? Check out our free ingredient substitutions printable!
Ang’s Recipe Tips
✔️ Do not add the chips or the dressing to your taco salad until you are ready to serve it.
Storage
To Store: Dorito Taco Salad should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. (These are my favorite airtight containers.)
Make Ahead
The seasoned beef can be made 2-3 days in advance. The salad is best eaten within a few hours of assembly; however, you can prep all the veggies to save time.
Serving Suggestions
This salad is a great addition to a taco bar spread or potluck dinner. I usually serve this salad with tangy Catalina dressing, but it’s also delicious with French dressing or ranch dressing. (You’ll also love it with our avocado ranch dressing!)
Related: Layered Taco Salad
Not ready to make this salad recipe yet?
When you do make it, please come back and comment and leave me a 5-star rating below! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Taco Salad with Doritos
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Ingredients
- 1 lb seasoned and cooked ground beef taco meat
- 4 Romaine lettuce hearts rinsed then chopped
- 1 cup black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 large tomato chopped OR sliced cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup red onion thinly sliced
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese such as cheddar, monterey jack, or pepper jack
- 1 ½ cups nacho cheese Doritos broken into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup Catalina dressing
- 1 cup pitted black olives
Instructions
- Add the chopped romaine lettuce to a large salad bowl.4 Romaine lettuce hearts
- Top with the ground beef, black beans, tomatoes, cheese, corn, and red onions.1 lb seasoned and cooked ground beef taco meat, 1 cup black beans, 1 large tomato chopped OR sliced cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup red onion, 1 cup corn kernels, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup pitted black olives
- Add the Dorito tortilla chips and tangy Catalina dressing to the salad.1 ½ cups nacho cheese Doritos, 1 cup Catalina dressing
- Toss to coat and serve.
Equipment
Nutrition
Similar Recipes
If you like the flavor of Tex-Mex food like this Dorito Taco Salad, you’ll also want to try our taco-stuffed shells or chicken taco bake next time you need a delicious meal.
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